Doeren, Yow make visit to New Bern

Published: Monday, May 6, 2013 at 09:23 PM.

Doeren, who was hired to replace Tom O’Brien, got to work almost immediately. He made two visits to New Bern this offseason to visit former New Bern High players Bra’lon Cherry and Josh Taylor.

Cherry is already enrolled at N.C. State and is expected to make contributions for the Wolfpack this season. Taylor, a quarterback, recently signed to be a preferred walk-on, with a chance to compete for playing time.

“I love New Bern. I really enjoy coming down here,” Doeren said. “It’s always fun seeing the water, but there is great football down here.

“They have a lot of tradition and tough kids.”

For Wolfpack alum Jesse Campbell, interacting with Wolfpack fans brings back memories of his glory days.

Campbell, a West Craven High graduate, was a defensive back on N.C. State’s football team before getting picked by the Philadelphia Eagles in the second round of the 1991 National Football League Draft.

Campbell played eight seasons in the NFL with the Eagles, New York Giants and Washington Redskins.

Dave Doeren is learning quickly about the passionate fan base of the N.C. State Wolfpack.

The new football coach is thrilled to have the opportunity to build a winner for the championship-starved supporters.

Doeren, introduced as head football coach on Dec. 2, is making his rounds across the state to acclimate himself with boosters, fans and alumni.

Doeren was in New Bern on Monday as part of the Wolfpack Coaches Caravan at the North Carolina History Center.

The Wolfpack Club Caravan, open to the general public, makes 20 stops each spring.

“They are very passionate and supportive fans,” said Doeren. “They really want us to win, but want us to do it the right way.”

The caravan was put on by the District 12 Wolfpack Club, consisting of Craven, Carteret, Jones, Pamlico and Onslow Counties.

N.C. State Athletics Director Debbie Yow was the first to speak to the hundreds in attendance.

Yow talked about the state of Wolfpack athletics.

“New Bern is an important area of influence for N.C. State, both academically and athletically,” said Yow. “Driving over here, I realized the trek that our fans have made many times from New Bern is not necessarily an easy one.

“We need to come here occasionally to say thank you for that.”

Doeren expects to put a product on the football field that will make the fans proud.

Last season, N.C. State finished with a 7-6 record and lost to Vanderbilt in the Music City Bowl.

“We have a lot of work to do still to get to where we want to play,” said Doeren. “We will be a team that plays hard, fast and hopefully it won’t be a team that beats itself.”

Doeren, who was hired to replace Tom O’Brien, got to work almost immediately. He made two visits to New Bern this offseason to visit former New Bern High players Bra’lon Cherry and Josh Taylor.

Cherry is already enrolled at N.C. State and is expected to make contributions for the Wolfpack this season. Taylor, a quarterback, recently signed to be a preferred walk-on, with a chance to compete for playing time.

“I love New Bern. I really enjoy coming down here,” Doeren said. “It’s always fun seeing the water, but there is great football down here.

“They have a lot of tradition and tough kids.”

For Wolfpack alum Jesse Campbell, interacting with Wolfpack fans brings back memories of his glory days.

Campbell, a West Craven High graduate, was a defensive back on N.C. State’s football team before getting picked by the Philadelphia Eagles in the second round of the 1991 National Football League Draft.

Campbell played eight seasons in the NFL with the Eagles, New York Giants and Washington Redskins.

“Some people remember old stories of when I played and we start talking, then I go back to my teenage years, in my mind,” Campbell said. “I had a great college career and I love talking about it.”

Campbell, now an assistant principal at New Bern High, knows first-hand what it‘s like to be apart of the Wolfpack Nation.

“When I was there, I loved to walk out onto the stadium and see all that red and white out there. It was always a good feeling to see that support,” he said. “They are doing a great thing by reaching out to Eastern North Carolina. We have a lot of N.C. State fans down here.”

The future of N.C. State’s athletics appears to be bright. The football team went to a bowl game last season, the basketball team qualified for the NCAA Tournament and the baseball squad is ranked fifth in the nation.

“We have the greatest fans in the world,” said Bobby Purcell, the Director of the Wolfpack Club. “They are always optimistic. They deserve a winner. Our fans stick with our program through thick and thin.”